Differential or balance gear



` L. E. DE MOLE i Mar. 13, 1923.

DIFFERENTIAL on BALANCE'GEAR Filed July 14, 1920 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

LANCELOT ELDIN DE MOLE, OF SYDNEIL NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. v

DIFFERENTIAL 0R BALANCE GEAR.

Application filed July 14, 1926. Serial No. 396,282.

To all whom it may concern.' j

Be it known that I, LANonLoT ELDIN De MoLE, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at llrcildo'une,V Brierley Street,- Cremorne,Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, have invented certain new vanduseful Improvements' in Differential" or- Balance Gear, ot' which thefollowing i-s a'speciication.

This invention relates to reversible clutch mechanism especiallyintended for use with differential or balance gear such as maybe used,for` example, on. motor vehicles for transmitting the drive from theengine to the driving wheels.

According to this invention the clutch comprises a set of togglemembersy adapted to take up either one of two positions in which theybring the clutch into operation under spring control, the toggle membersbeing automatically displaced from one operative position to the otheruponv reversal of the drive and `fre/icing the driven member from theclutchv when such 'member tends to move faster than the drive.

In a convenient constructionl embodying` this invention as applied to adifferential i gear especially adapted for motor vehicles,

a worm wheel driven from a worm on an engine driven shaft carries uponeach face a set of dogs or stops arranged cylindrically. Between theadjacent dogs are mounted the toggle members, supported at their outerends on pivots carried by inwardly projecting lugs on an expandingdivided clutch ring, the ring being preferably made in two semi-circularmembers adapted to' expand against a casing on theend of the live axle,the inner ends of the toggles having pins engaging in short radial slotsin a ring or frame mounted on a sleeve carried bythe spindle of the wormwheel, The outer ends of the tcggles are formed with a channel atrightvr angles to the' toggle axis,*receiving small toggle actuatingballs, and theirinncr ends are of wedge formation kand bear againstcentral coiled'spring of 'clock-y spring type around whichthe togglesare symmetrically placed so that the single spring acts equally againstall the toggles. For reversing piirpos'es'- the member engaging thetoggleV pins is adapted to ne turned through ,asina'll angle in Veitherdire'cf tion by a'reveris'ing lever inadefconvenientl'y in `the form ofa lring Ymounted--onv a sliding fulcrum atene side and reversing bym'asot' al large ball lying betweenthe ring `and a tixed outer casingand adapted to meet either end of a semi-circular rib or flange on thereversing ring7 the arrangement being such that in the drivingjpositionthe reversing ring lever is eccentric and the ball lies in the spacebetween the ring and the casing, i

where it is free; On theI engine reversing the ball rolls into thetapering channel between the ring and the casingand moves'the ringinwards, first releasing it from a catch which holds itV in one-or otherof its normal positions and on continued Amovement turning the ringaround its tulcrum at one side so as to displace it tothe other 'side ofthe centre, when the ball lies against the other end of thesemi-circular flange and is carried round withv it, In this position ofthe mechanism the toggles are all displaced to the second operativeposition lthrough a connection from the, reversing lever to the framereceiving the toggle pins, and thedogs act upon the opposite side of thelugs carrying thel toofdles which are therefore affain hh 5 C i broughtinto their radial position and drive the vexpanding clutch ring againstits casing.

In order that the said invention may be clearlyvunderstood and readilycarried into effect the same will now be described more fully withIreference to the accompanying drawings in which`:- l c Figure l is asectionthrough the axis of the clutch and gear taken on the section line-m of Figure 2,*and j Figures .2 and 3 are "cross sections takenrespectively on the lines 3/- f1/ and a-e of Figure l. 'j Y i y A is anengine driven worm shaft. B is the worm wheel driven by the worm A andmounted onthe axle b. C is the driven axle or live axle ofthe vehicle,terminating in the casing c, D.y D are dogs. or'stops, four in number,projectingv in 'cylindrical form .trom the face of the wheel B. Fn E arethe toggle members; F is the clutchrin'g divided diametric'ally'into twolsegments and having four'inwardly projecting lugs fcarrying the j outerends' oflf'V the toggles E through the pivot pins e'. G is the annularframe mounted on the sleeve f/ turning" on the axle b of the 'wheelB andreceiving'the pins e" tol-y `wards the inner ends'y of the toggles E. Hi's the concentric.clock-spring against which the 'inner ends of theAtoggle's are adapted to' vbear'. J" is ithe` annular reversing leverprovided with a* rounded. i'pivot member 7' adapted to slide betweenguides (l belonging to a pair of the dogs D so that the annular levercan be swung to one side or another otiits central position. K is thefixed eX ternal casing enclosing the gear and clutch. rli`he expandingclutch ring F is brought into action against the inner face of thecasing o on the driven axle C when the worm wheel B and its dogs D areturned, by the aid ot the small halls L which lie in recesses j" in thering F, these recesses being immediately over the centre of thecorresponding` toggles, which are grooved at c2 so that when the toggleis at an angle to the radius from the centre of the clutch, as shown inFigure 2the `dat bottoms oiythe groei/es e2 are tilted to form awedgeshaped recess for the balls. Any relative movement between the clutchring F and the casing c in onedirection is freely allowed butv arelative movement in the other direction causes the halls to ride up thegrooves e2 and turn the toggles into the radial position against thepressure due to the central clock spring H. The inner ends of thetoggles are recessed to form the wedge c3 the nose of which meets thespring H, which spring is held between the two ends e4 of the toggle, asshown in Fi gure l.

It the worm wheel' B and its dogs D turn in the direction' indicated bythe arrow in Figure 2 with the toggles tilted in the direction shown inthat Figure, the initial Inoveinent brings the edges of the tour dogs upagainst the sides of the lugs f, carrying toi ward the clutch ring F. Onthis movement continuing, the small balls L roll against the inner faceof the casing c and therefore ride up the sloping groove e2 of thetoggles until they pass the central line of the toggles which are thenturned into a radial position, pressing the wedge shaped nose of eachtoggle against the spring H. The depth of thel |`@grooves o2 is suchthat the balls become tree in their recesses f as soon as the togglesreach the radial. position and the spring ll acting` through the togglesand the lugs y" drives the divided or expanding clutch ring` F againstthe inner face of the casing a which is therefore frictionally clutchedto the dogs D and to the driving worin wheel B. 'w The reversal ol theclutch is effected by displacing the inner ends of the toggles l@ to'the other side of their radiali position For this purpose the sleeve otthe trame (i has mounted upon it a disc M lying against the tace of theworm wheel B, which disc provided. at one side with a 'fork m engagingan inwardly projecting tooth or pin j upon the reversing lever J. Thepin y" also extends into a groove b in the face of the wheel B, theinner side of which groove is inthe form of two .depressions o?separated by a shoulder., The tooth or'pin j Leashes is held in one orthe other of the depressions o2 by the aid ot the spring jZbe-aringagainst the sliding pivot ot' the reversing annular lever J andsupported on the radial pin g on the sleeve g.

The annular reversing lever J is `formed with the semi-oircular rib orflange js, as shown in Figure 3, against one end of which rib issupported the large ball N, the ball lying tree against the end of therib as thc space between the lever J and the inside o' the casing atthis side .is a little greater than the diameter of the ball when thelever tilted towards the opposite side. The ball N is held between theface of the worm wheel li and the loose retaining ring 'n shown inFigure l.

On reversing the drive the parts carried by the worm wheel are allrotatedr in the opposite direction, with the result that the ball N isallowed to roll back and enter the gradually decreasing channel betweenthe lever J and the casing. The first action is to move the slidingpivot y' inwardly so that; when the ball reaches the pivot the toothismoved out of the depression b2 in which it has been lying and thelever J is therefore' free to turn around its pivot and the furthermove-ment of the ball N causes the lever J to turn until the tooth joccupies the other end of the groove Zi', reversing the eccentricity otthe lever. The ball N is then tree to drop on to the other' extremity ofthe rib and the tooth j can spring into the second depression 52 by thepressure of the spring` jfl at the opposite side ofthe leven Thedisplacementl of the lever J acting through the tooth A7" and the tort:m on the disc M causes a displacement of the frame (i through an anglecorresponding` to the movement of the lever J and therefore carriesround the pine c ot the `toggles Fi so that the .latter rlic on theother side ot thc radial lines through their' pivots and the d irectiono action of the small balls L is con sequently .reversed with tho resultthatr the drive-causes the balls again to ride ug the sloping grooves e2and bring the toggles into radial position, in which they force the eX-panding or divided ring 'F into engagement with the axle casing c.

The clutch is immediately Freed on any tendency oi the driven sha-tt Cvto overrun as the casing c carries torward with it the engaged clutchring F so as to move the lugs f away from the following dogs l) andcarry `Forward the outer ends of the toggles F which are thereforedisplaced from their substantially radial clutching position. As soon asthe toggles turn through a small angle their outwardl pressure onl theclutch ring F ceases and the clutch is free, re-engaging at once, in themanner. already described, when the'speedof the driven shaft C fallsbelow that of the drive,

llo

It is to be understood that the clutch mechanism shown on the left handside of Figure l is repeated at the other side of the worm wheel so thatin the case of a motor vehicle the live axle at each side is driven, thedouble clutch providing a ditferential action as well as a drive ineither direction.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis l. In a reversible driving clutch, an eX- panding clutch device, aset of substantially radial spring pressed toggle members adapt-y ed totake up either one of two positions on either side oilv the radialposition, in both of which positions they bring the clutch intooperation, each toggle member acting on the said clutch device by directradial spring pressure, and means for automatically displacing thetoggle members from one operative position to the other operativeposition upon reversal of the drive.

2. In a reversible driving clutch, a casing, an expansible dividedclutch ring adapted to meet the said casing, a set of spring pressedtoggle members carried by the said ring, toggle actuating balls betweenthe casing and the toggles, adapted on taking up the drive in eitherdirection to ride up a surface portion of the toggles and to turn thelatter into clutching position against the spring pressure, whichpressure causes the toggles to expand the clutch ring, for the purposespecified.

3. In a reversible driving clutch, an expansible divided clutch ring, aset of toggle members carried by the said ring, each member of which setis adapted to take up either one of two driving positions, a radiallyacting spring effecting the clutching action through the togglelmembers, and means by which the toggles may be displaced angularly toone or other side of their central position on the direction of thedrive being reversed, for the purpose specified.

4. In a reversible driving clutch, an eX- pansible divided clutch ring,a set of toggle members pivoted at their outer ends upon the said clutchring, and adapted when in substantially radial position to expand thering into the' clutching position, an angum larly adjustable frame towhich the inner ends of the toggles are connected, and a connectionbetween the frame and the driving mechanism by which on reversal of thedrive the frame turns to displace the toggles angularly to the positionrequired for driving in the opposite direction.

.5. In a reversiblek 'driving clutch, an eX- pansible divided clutchring, a set of toggle membersy pivoted at their outer ends upon the saidclutch ring, and adapted when in substantially radial position to expandthe ring into the clutching position, an angularly adjustable frame towhich the inner ends ot the toggles are connected, an eccen tricallypivoted reversing lever connected to the said frame, an outer stationaryframe and a ball lying in the channel between thel frame andeccentrically pivoted lever, which ball is adapted on reversal of thedrive to travel around the annular lever and displace it around itspivot from one side to the other of its central position, for thepurpose specified.

6. In a reversible driving clutch, an en` pansible divided clutch ring,a set of toggle members pivoted at their outer ends upon the said clutchring and adapted when ingV two depressions, in either of which, theysaid pin is adapted to lie, and rolling means by which the annular leveris on'reversal of the drive displaced around its pivot from one side tothe other oi' its central position, for the purpose specified.

7. In a reversible driving clutch, a clutch operating set of togglemembers, a single concentric annular spring adapted to act outwardlyupon the complete set of toggles, and means for turning the said togglemem-` bers into clutching position, in which position they are under thepressurey of the said spring.

8.' In a reversible driving-clutch, a clutch casing, an eXpansibledivided clutch ring provided with lugs, a set of toggle ymemberspivotally connected to thesaid divided ring, and adapted to expanditagainst the casing, a driving member provided with dogs adapt ed to meeteither side oi the said. clutch ring lugs according to the directionv ofthe drive, and means whereby the said toggle members may be moved intoclutch ring expanding position for either direction of drive.

LANCELOT ELDIN Dn MCLE.

